Liverpool can land cut-price transfer for Fulham target as uncertainty causes chaos

Liverpool could look to snap up one of European football’s brightest young stars amid Lyon’s disastrous financial plight. On Friday, it was reported that the French club could be relegated to Ligue 2 at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, having allegedly racked up debts of around £425million.

They have now been given until the end of the season to address the situation by the French Financial Football Watchdog, and in the meantime will also be the subject of a transfer embargo.

It means that the seven-time Ligue 1 champions face having to sell marquee players on cut-price deals in January, with the Reds potentially among the teams who could capitalise.

According to L’Equipe, the Premier League side are tracking France Under-21 midfielder Rayan Cherki, who has been tipped to have a big future at club and international level. He’s said to be valued at around £21m by Lyon, but they will almost certainly have to accept a lower fee to balance the books.

Cherki, who played for his country in the Olympic Games this summer, has already racked up 152 appearances at club level. He’s scored 19 goals and notched 28 assists in that time, and has proved his versatility after also being deployed on the left wing.

And the youngster is now likely to be seen as an alternative to Wataru Endo, who has struggled for game time under Arne Slot. Federico Chiesa’s future is also already in doubt, with form and fitness struggles meaning he has barely featured since joining from Juventus in September.

Arne Slot’s side are likely to face stiff competition for his signature though. The likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and Fulham have also been linked with Cherki, whose contract runs until June 2026.

But Slot is reportedly keen to boost squad depth in the next transfer window, and Liverpool’s current form makes them an attractive proposition. Not only are the club five points clear at the top of the Premier League, but have also racked up a perfect winning record so far in the Champions League.

Cherki’s form has also limited the appearances of Wilfried Zaha, who arrived on loan from Galatasaray in the summer. And despite speculation over his future, the 21-year-old has previously been coy over a potential move.

“I don’t think about what’s next at all,” he said earlier this season. “My future will wait, until the end of the season. Lyon comes first. When the time comes to ask the question, we will ask it, but it is not yet the time.”

Lyon’s plight is potentially another hammer blow for French domestic football. In August, Ligue 2 side Bordeaux were demoted to the fourth tier after filing for bankruptcy.